remove_labels

THE RISK

Medium Risk

Why remove_labels needs a policy

Removing labels from an email modifies its metadata/organization but does not delete the email itself. This is a reversible write operation — labels can be re-added. The blast radius is medium since an AI agent misusing this could disorganize a user's email categorization at scale.

From the tool's definition Remove specific labels (mailboxes) from an email

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access remove_labels gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control remove_labels

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Fastmail MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for remove_labels:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "remove_labels": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "remove_labels_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

remove_labels stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Fastmail MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Fastmail MCP Server tools

Destructive bulk_delete Delete multiple emails (move to trash) Destructive delete_email Delete an email (move to trash) Write bulk_remove_labels Remove labels from multiple emails simultaneously Write reply_email Reply to an existing email with proper threading headers (In-Reply-To, References). Automa Write test_bulk_operations Test bulk operations by finding recent emails and performing safe operations (mark read/un Write add_labels Add labels (mailboxes) to an email without removing existing ones Write bulk_add_labels Add labels to multiple emails simultaneously Write bulk_mark_read Mark multiple emails as read/unread

All 38 Fastmail MCP Server tools →

Write tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server download_torrent YouTube MCP Server generate_video_title Android Forensics ADB MCP Server combine_reports 0xarchive web3_signup

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Argument validation → Checking tool call arguments against schema and policy before they run.
Scoped token → Per-person credentials that grant a defined subset of servers and tools.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about remove_labels

What does the remove_labels tool do? +

Remove specific labels (mailboxes) from an email. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Fastmail MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on remove_labels? +

Register the Fastmail MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for remove_labels: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Fastmail MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is remove_labels? +

remove_labels is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit remove_labels? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the remove_labels rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block remove_labels completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for remove_labels. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides remove_labels? +

remove_labels is provided by the Fastmail MCP Server MCP server (madllama25/fastmail-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Fastmail MCP Server tool call.

Start from Fastmail MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →